Ramsgate

INFORMATION

FontID: 12660RAM
Church/Chapel: St. Augustine's Abbey [RC]
Church Patron Saints: St. Augustine of Hippo
Country Name: England
Location: Kent, South East
Font Location in Church: Inside the church, W end, S aisle
Date: ca. 1850?
Century and Period: 19th century (mid), Victorian
Workshop/Group/Artisan: by Augustus W. N. Pugin
Described and illustrated in Martin (2006) as "a huge font designed by Pugin [i.e., Augustus Welby Northmnore Pugin (1812-1852)] that was exhibited at the Great Exhibition and was given to the church by George Meyers" [NB: George Myers (1803-1875) was a Yorkshire builder who carried out Pugin's plans since the late 1830s]. Martin (ibid.) adds: "It is a virtuoso exercise of medieval-style carving with scenes from the Bible and adorned by many angels. A very tall, spiky, gravity-defying canopy can be raised up to ceiling height for baptisms." The font combines the general design of a Perpendicular font with a Victorian excess of decorative detail, to which are added a few 'sui generis' details such as the four protruding bulges that are decorated with angels and that serve as rests for the four columns of the canopied cover. According to Martin (ibid.) it was "admired by Queen Victoria".

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone
Font Shape: octagonal (mounted)
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal

LID INFORMATION

Date: ca. 1850 / Victorian
Material: wood,
Apparatus: yes
Notes: [cf. FontNotes]

REFERENCES

Martin, Christopher, A Glimpse of Heaven: Catholic churches of England and Wales, Swindon: English Heritage, 2006